Recoil-check for vehicles.



No. 810,282. PATBNTED JAN. 16, 1906. H. A. HOUSE. RBCOIL CHECK FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 1905.

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. INVENTOR WITNESSES. v )(OWW fgj' K' i i ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of m... rams;

Patented Ian. 16, 1900.

W ma Ayril20,1005. snarl. 266.821.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. -HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Recoil- Check for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a recoil-check adapted to be used in connection with vehicle-s rings to arrest or check a too sudden recoil a r compression.

It is a well-understood fact that the breakage of sp is not due to compression, whether suc compression be sudden or gradual, but the danger lies in the sudden rebound of the spring after it has been compressed.

The object of my device is to check the s ring on its first attempt at recovery and then gradually allow it to resume its normal position.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a broken view of a spring, broken view of the frame or chassis of an automobile, and sectional view of the axle. This view shows the recoil-check attached to thel axle with the spring and said check norma view of the cylinder or outer casing of the recoil-check, central sectional view of separable friction-grip ers in line a a of Fig. 4, also broken view 0% the strap connecting the lower end of the check with the axle. Fig. 3 a is a sectional view of the recoil-check, similar to that shown at Fig. 2, except that the device is shown compressed. Fig. 4 is an upper detail plan view of the separable grippers and sectional view of four bolts projecting through said grippers.

Its construction and operation are as follows:

1 represents a cylindrical outer casing having the closed top 1 and the removable cap 2 at the bottom.

3 is an eye projecting from the to 1, adapted to link with the lower end 0 the support 4, connected to the chassis 5.

6 is a strap joining the axle 7 with the lower end of the connecting-rod 8 of the recoil-check.

9 represents the upper and lower sections 55 of an ordinary elliptic vehiclespring located between the chassis and axle.

Fig. 2 is a full-size central sectional 10 and 11 are the fi'iction-gri rs-adapted to have frictional contact with t e interior of the casing 1.

or other like material, interposed between the semicircular grippers and the interior wall of the casing.

13 and 14 are interior projections of these grippers having the openings or pockets 15 an 16, in which are operatively located on the pins 17 and 18 the toggle-arm levers 19 8.11% 20, having the curved meetingfaces b an o.

2 1 is a block having the-transverse opening 22 to receive the free ends of the toggle-arm levers 19 and 20. The lower end of this block has athreaded hole adapted to receive the threaded end 8 of the connecting-rod 8.

23, 24, 25, and 26 are studs anchored in the closed top or head 1 of the casing 1, and 27, 28, 29, and 30, Fig. 4, are holes in the top of the grippers 10 and 11, which holes freely embrace these studs.

31, 32, 33, and 34 are coiled springs embracing said studs and abutting against the inside of the upper surface of the gripper-sections 10 and .11 and the nuts 35, mounted on the lower ends of the said studs.

36, Fig. 4, represents dowel-pinsi'nthe meet.

12 represents semicircular packings, leather 6o grippers 10 and 11 will be drawn down approximate] into the position shown at Figs. 1 and 2. downward movement of the grippers will compress the coiled springs 31 &c., as shown at Fig. 2. Suppose, for instance, that the vehicle has received a sudden and violent jolt. The instant the upper sections of its springs start downward the stored-up tension in the coiled springs 31, 620., will loosen the grip of the sections 10 and 11 on the interior wall of the casing 1 and permit said casing to move down with the said vehicle-spring sections. If the jolt has been very severe, the casing will be carried down until the grippers are in the position shown at Fig. 3, and for that matter the casing may be carried down until the interior surface of its head strikes the grippers, the flexible character of the connecting-strap 6 permitting even a further downward movecoiled springs, the weight will gradual ment of the casing. The sudden jerk of the vehicle-springs on their recoil movement Wlll tend to draw the toggle-arm levers toward a horizontal position. This outward effort of the vehicle-springs will thus result in forcing the gri per-sections firmly against the interior wa l of the casing 1 and mstantlycheck the return of the vehicle-springs. After the vehicle has passed over the obstruction which caused the sudden compression of its springs and the sudden recoil of said springs has been arrested, as before mentioned, the vehicle will have sufficiently steadied itself so that the stored-up tension in its sprin s will only exert an even outward strain. finder this even strain, which strain will of course be greater than the tension of the coiled springs 31, &c., the vehicle-springs and the casing will gradually recover their normal position.

To further illustrate the manner in which the recoil check operates,'let it be supposed that the casing 1 is suspended from a fixed support and a weight is attached to the rod 8by means of a flexible connection. The grippers will be drawn down in said casing againstthe tension of the coiled springs a distance proportional to such weight, which weight will of course cause the toggle-arms to exert sufficient outward pressure of the gripper-sections a ainst the interior Wall of the casing to ho] the weight. Now if the weight is lifted the coiled springs will force the gripper-sections back to the bottom of the casing or back a distance represented by the stored-up tension in the coiled springs. If the weight is suddenly dropped, the momentum stored 'up in its fall will cause the gripper sections to be thrown outward against the interior wall of the casing the instant the downward movement of the weight is arrested, and these sections will remain firmly in contact with said casing until the momentum stored up in the falling weight has expended itself, and the instant this stage of the operation has been reached the downward pressure of the We'g is represented by grafuty, and, this being greater than the resistance offered bly a until a balance between said weight, dbiled springs, and the frictional contact of the gripper-sections is' established. While the operation just described is the reverse of what it would be when thedevice is attached to a vehicle, the-principle is the "same.

show certain means for attaching the device to a vehicle, I do not wish to be confined to any particular means, as such means can be varied to suit the circumstances of each case and the peculiar construction and arrangements of the different parts of the Vehicle. i

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 Y 1 ht will be only what .1. A recoil-check adapted to arrest the sudden return of a vehicle-spring after compression com rising a casin ex ansible gripers adapte to have hot a ateral and a ibngitudinal movement, within said casing, means for expanding said grippers under a sudden strain so as to temporarily check the recoil of the vehicle-spring, means to ermit the moderate recovery of said spring, or the purpose set forth.

2. A reco1l-check adapted to arrest the sudden return of a'vehicle-spring after comed to have both a lateral and a movement in said casing, ing said grippers under a sudden strain so as to temporarily check the recoil of the vehiole-spring, means to permit the moderate recovery of said spring, for the purpose set forth.

3. A recoil-check adapted to arrest the sudden return of a vehicle-spring after compression comprising a casin grippers adapted to frictionally engage t e inner Wall of said casing, toggle arms on said grippers, a connecting-rod actuating said arms to efiect said frictional engagement, recoveringsprings actin against said grippers, and adapted there y to permit of agradual recov- 1ery {if the vehicle-spring, for the purpose set 'ort 4. The combination, in a vehicle having compressible springs, of a recoil-check adaptmeans for expandafter com ression, said recoil-check connected wit the vertically-movable body portion of the vehicle and the axle or other like non-vertical movable part of the vehicle, said check comprising a casing, grippers located within said casing and adapted to have both a lateral and longitudinal movement therein, toggle-arms on said grippers, a connectin rod ada ted to actuate said grippers throu the me ium of said grippers and against t e interior wall of the casing under the compression of the vehicle-springs and thus temporarily prevent the sudden recoil of said springs, recoil-springs within the casing to relieve the outward ressure of said and permit the gradhal recovery of t e vehiole-springs, for the purpose set forth.

compressible springs, of a recoil-check connected with-the vertically-movable body portion of the vehicle and the axle or other like non-vertical movable part of the vehicle, one of said connections being flexible, said recoilcheck comprising a casing, grippers within said casing and adapted'to have both a lateral and a longitudinal movement therein and alwa s in frictional contact with the interior Wal of the casing toggle arms pivotally supported on said grippers, a connectingrod adapted to actuate said grip ers against the interior wall of the casing un er the comed to arrest the sudden recoil of said springs 5. The combination, with a vehicle havingpression, comprising a casing, grippers adaptongitudinal pression of the vehicle-springs and thus temporarily check the sudden recoil of .said sprin s, means to partially release the frictiona contact of said grippers and permit the gradual recover of the vehicle-springs, for the purpose set orth. I

6. The combination, in a vehicle having compressible springs, of a recoil-check comprising a casing, a connecting-rod longitudinally movable therein, means for connecting the casing and connecting-rod to the vehicle, one to a verticallymovable part, and the other to a non-vertical movable part, grippers adapted to have both a lateral and longitudinal movement in the casing, togglearms having one of their ends pivotally supported to said grippers, their free ends operatively connected to said connecting-rod so that, when the vehicle springs are compressed, said grippers are expanded forcibly against the casing to temporarily check the recoil of said springs, means for partially releasing the contact of said grippers to permit of their gradual recovery, for the purpose set forth.

7. The herein-described recoil-check comprising a casing, expansible ippers therein, toggle-arms having one of t eir ends pivotally supported on said rippers, a connectingrod, the free ends of tile grippers connected with said rods, studs secured to said casing and passing freely through said grippers, springs embracing said studs having a kicking-post both on the studs and grippers, for

the purpose set forth.

8. The herein-described recoil-check comprising a dust-proof casing, expansible grippers therein, toggle-arms having one of their ends pivotally supported on said grippers, a connecting-rod, the free ends of the grippers connected with said rods, studs secured to said casing and passing freely through said grippers, springs embracing said studs having a kicking-post both on the studs and grippers, for the purpose set forth.

iigned at Bridgeport, in the county of Fa eld and State of Connecticut, this 15th day of April, A. D. 1905.

HENRY A. HOUSE.

Witnesses:

H. A. LAMB, I S. J. CHAFFEE. 

